The older generation and
computers - an unresolved challenge
Following events about virtual reality and tech
accessibility at the North London branch, committee member Maureen Childs MBCS
and Erwin Schaefer MBCS explore how older people may feel excluded from
benefits of technology and how a few small changes could make a big difference
to IT use by seniors.
Imagine the past… primitive computers,
the size of a room, used exclusively by top companies, universities or
government agencies. No internet exists and nobody knows what ‘social media’ is
supposed to be. To call somebody, you use a rotary-dial telephone attached to a
socket in the wall. You have three or four TV stations but they shut around
midnight. To get your news, you purchase your favourite newspaper in print. To
buy anything, you pay by cash or perhaps by cheque. If you are young and love
music you might carry a cassette Walkman around with you. And nobody can
contact you if they don’t know where you are.
The state of the nation
Fast forward a few decades to
arrive in a world where computers have become ubiquitous and where their use
has changed the world beyond recognition – at least if you’re part of a
generation that has known life and work without them.
So, are today’s seniors just annoying
relics of a bygone era? People who should just adapt to all that exciting new technology
and accept the realities of this Brave New World? That isn’t a fair assessment.
Making the change
In the last decade there have been
numerous reports produced by many responsible organisations including the World Health Organization and UK government, to highlight the potential
problems with senior IT use, or lack of use. The reports gave a stark reminder
of how the lack of use of technology, for whatever reason, has caused desperate
isolation and the knock-on effects of this on a large proportion of the UK
population.
To explore the many accessibility
problems as well as the new capabilities of technology, BCS North London branch
held two informative and interactive events. The first event was in early
February, held in conjunction with Cassette, a company that specialises in
‘virtual reality, augmented reality and immersive technology’? for
use in health and social welfare. Virtual reality was chosen
as the event topic to address inclusion, entertain and dispel fears of the
unknown.
In the second event, entitled digital
inclusion, the North London branch invited a number of London seniors to
discuss the problems they had with accessing the internet - there were as many
problems as people. They involved logistical problems like not having the
dexterity to use touch screens, the print of websites being too small, not
remembering passwords, incompatibility issues between platforms, not to mention
security problems, confusing upgrades and contact with criminal intent.
There are plenty of people in their 70s
and older who have taken enthusiastically to new technology. There are many
more people who confidently grew into the computer-age during their careers,
but might be baffled and annoyed by the constant introduction of new apps and
ever more prolific communication formats. And then there are those who have
sidestepped technology, who are unaware of even the basic aspects of the
digital age. There might be health reasons or a disability making it difficult
for them to use computers unaided, there might have been a lack of
opportunities to gain exposure to computers during their lives, there might
well be an element of apprehension involved as well.
Doing our duty
As members of a compassionate society,
we should encourage an inclusive attitude toward more vulnerable people by
assisting those that are struggling to achieve a dignified level of digital
access. There are still too many occasions where older people are simply
excluded from social activities or even a meaningful and useful work experience
because they do not receive the comparatively modest assistance and
encouragement that would enable them to fully participate in society.
While suggestions for a more
age-friendly society are being made by the World Health Organization and
filtering through to countries adopting the concept of Age Friendly Cities,
there still needs to be more work at a grassroots level. Leaving digital
inclusion and training to unqualified overworked librarians, care staff or
community volunteers, is simply no longer an option. More and more services,
such as basic healthcare, benefits and payments are all moving from a
paper-based system to access online.
What needs to be done?
Looking to the future, there needs to
be a national programme of IT inclusion. This needs to address everything from
the physical design of hardware to software right through to relevance and
usability, with a good level of professional training. There needs to be, not
only a plan of change but a culture of
accountability to ensure that everyone - seniors, returning parents, people
with disabilities, new citizens, young people - are not disadvantaged and can
make the same digital journey as those who are a little more tech-savvy.
Are we heading in the right direction?
We also need to ask: ‘where is digital
technology leading us?’ There are many useful aspects that we would not want to
lose again - not everyone is a passionate gamer but many of us enjoy having
access to web links about science, culture, literature and a democratic level
of political involvement that is enabled by digital media. Almost everyone has
an email address, these days, to communicate. And what about those amazing
miniature computers we carry around with us - calling them a ‘phone’, or even a
‘smart phone’ almost does not do them justice.
But, are we sure we know all the
potential consequences of the digitalisation of our lives? Can we be confident
with the structures in place that are supposedly safeguarding our digital
activities? Can we be assured that our data is not being misused? Have we not
had ample evidence recently about manipulative advertising on social media to
influence voters’ attitudes? Can we honestly say that this enormous phenomenon
called ‘social media’ is automatically a force for good?
A digital transformation of life
The Fourth Industrial Revolution will
inevitably bring change - sometimes welcome, sometimes not. It is up to society
to make sure that if we make sweeping changes, in the name of efficiency and
cost saving, will they be suitable for everyone? If we move the entire payment
structure onto digital platforms, removing our access to cash at the same time,
would we really be comfortable with the potential for abusive control of our
digital visibility? Similar questions can be asked about any of the other
digital information pieces about us, floating around in cyberspace, be they of
a medical, professional or political nature.
We are at a point where questioning our
almost total reliance, or perhaps even obsession, with computers and digital
media should be part of a civic debate in which today’s seniors should have a
voice. They carry the memories and wisdom of a life without any of that
technology; they can tell us how to have a human-to-human relationship not
involving screens, keyboards, passwords, apps, Facebook or Twitter. For the
modest assistance needed by some elderly computer users, that generation can
more than pay back all of society, if only we start taking them seriously as
mature and insightful members of an inclusive society.
Further reading
Our sincerest thanks to the North London branch of
BCS for their continued support and contribution to the Content Hub and ITNOW.
We welcome the submission of good quality articles from all IT professionals,
so please get
in touch.
acknowledgements to
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